The Athletic

Business Development and Partnerships Director (Remote)

The Athletic$130K — $145K *
US-AnywhereRemote in United States
Media
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • BA/BS degree with 8 years of business development experience; MBA preferred.
  • Experience in advertising sales or media business development.
  • Familiarity with rights holders and sports leagues.
  • Strong autonomous working style; proactive in moving projects forward.
  • Demonstrates high professionalism with excellent follow-up skills.
  • Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, both written and verbal.
  • Creative thinker with the ability to generate innovative ideas.
  • Ability to handle multiple tasks and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

  • Secure and manage long-term, revenue-driving partnerships.
  • Expand The Athletic's league partnerships portfolio and ensure deal success.
  • Collaborate with the Head of Global Business Development on growth strategies.
  • Act as the main liaison with The New York Times sales teams and strategic partners.
  • Identify creative strategies to drive growth in The Athletic's commercial business.
  • Work with cross-functional teams for operational excellence.
  • Partner with the Partner Management team to ensure effective partnership operations.
  • Create and manage project plans for partnership executions.

Benefits

  • Medical, dental, and vision benefits.
  • Flexible Spending Accounts (F.S.A.s).
  • Company-matching 401(k) plan.
  • Paid vacation and sick days.
  • Paid parental leave.
  • Tuition reimbursement and professional development programs.
Full Job Description
About This Role

We are looking for a standout, director-level business development executive to apply their skills in business development, business operations, and partnerships - supporting senior leadership and working across all functions to maximize the business impact of The Athletic's large and growing commercial organization. Our ideal candidate will be experienced in business development and partnerships within the consumer media industry and be an expert in developing and closing complex strategic deals.

Responsibilities

  • Secure and help manage long-term, revenue-driving partnerships for The Athletic.
  • Help grow The Athletic's league partnerships portfolio and be accountable for the success of these deals.
  • Work closely with the Head of Global Business Development on setting and executing the strategy for growing the business.
  • Be the primary liaison between The Athletic and The New York Times sales teams and our portfolio of strategic partners where there is sales overlap and opportunity.
  • Think creatively and strategically to find new ways to grow The Athletic's commercial business.
  • Work efficiently with cross-functional teams including legal, finance, product, editorial, design and marketing to ensure operational excellence on a daily basis.
  • Partner closely with the Partner Management team to ensure partnerships are operating effectively and are optimized for success.
  • Create and manage project plans for various partnership executions.


Requirements

  • BA/BS degree with 8 years of relevant business development and partnerships operations experience; MBA a plus.
  • Experience in advertising sales and/or media business development.
  • Experience working with rights holders and sports leagues.
  • Ability to work autonomously and proactively push ideas and projects forward.
  • High level of professionalism; driven and motivated with excellent follow-up.
  • Outstanding interpersonal and communication skills (both written and verbal).
  • Ability to think creatively and strategically to come up with out of the box ideas.
  • Ability to multitask and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment with colleagues based in New York, San Francisco, around North America, and internationally
  • This is a remote-based role in the United States.
  • Represent The Athletic brand well.


The annual base salary range for this role is $130,000.00 - $145,000.00 USD. The total compensation offered for this position may vary based on factors such as education, experience, skills, and location.

For roles in the U.S., dependent on your role, you may be eligible for variable pay, such as an annual bonus and restricted stock. Benefits may include medical, dental and vision benefits, Flexible Spending Accounts (F.S.A.s), a company-matching 401(k) plan, paid vacation, paid sick days, paid parental leave, tuition reimbursement and professional development programs.

For roles outside of the U.S., information on benefits will be provided during the interview process.

We are excited to learn more about you and your experience. To keep our hiring process as fair and authentic as possible, we ask that you submit your own work and not use GenAI tools to generate substantive content during the application and interview process. If you are a candidate for a technical role, we will let you know what specific tools you are permitted to use for your technical assessment.

About The Athletic

The Athletic is a subscription-based sports media company that provides ad-free coverage of various sports leagues and teams. The company was founded in 2016 by Alex Mather and Adam Hansmann, and has since expanded to cover over 250 professional and college sports teams across North America and Europe. The Athletic has received several awards for its journalism, including the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting. The company has raised over $139 million in funding from investors such as Founders Fund, Bedrock Capital, and Comcast Ventures.
Learn more about The Athletic
Size
450 employees
Industry
Founded
2015

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